This archive report was first published on 7 August 2020.
On August 6, 2020, Bill Hagerty, a 60-year-old former ambassador to Japan, secured the Republican nomination for the Tennessee Senate seat, thanks in large part to the endorsement of Donald Trump.
Despite a late surge by Manny Sethi, a 42-year-old orthopedic surgeon, Hagerty's campaign was boosted by Trump's support, which he leveraged to silence skepticism about his commitment to Trumpism.
'It's not as if there was any huge philosophical difference between Hagerty and Manny,' said Stephanie Chivers, a longtime adviser to retiring Senator Lamar Alexander. 'So I really believe that Trump's endorsement made the difference.'
The primary election was marked by intense negative campaigning, with both sides engaging in misleading attacks. Hagerty's campaign accused Sethi of being untrustworthy due to a $50 donation to a Democratic candidate, while Sethi attempted to link Hagerty to the Black Lives Matter movement.
With Trump's endorsement and a strong campaign, Hagerty is likely to win the general election in November, securing a seat in the Senate. However, his victory marks the end of an era for moderate Tennessee Republicanism, a tradition that has been represented by Senator Lamar Alexander.
'This may well be the end of an era,' said Keel Hunt, author of two books on Tennessee politics.
